Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
If you’ve been tired and don’t want to exercise, it could be that you are deficient in iron. Many symptoms are not because you have personality problems or lack of will power. There may be a nutritional problem behind how you are feeling. Mind over matter doesn’t work when you have a nutritional problem.
Iron levels become deficient before anemia sets in. However, the following symptoms can be expected when iron levels start to go low:
- Fatigue easily
- Lack of stamina
- Can’t exercise for long
When anemia occurs because of the iron deficiency, these symptoms may occur:
- Heart palpitations
- Headaches
- Shortness of breath
- Get cold easily, even when it’s warm outside
- Mood changes
- Depression
- Hair falls out easily
- Nail changes
- Tongue looks smooth
- Restless legs
- Crave ice
- Can’t concentrate or pay attention
- Lower IQ
These symptoms may occur in babies in the womb during IDA:
- Growth retardation
- Higher chance of preterm delivery
- Intrauterine fetal demise
- Increased chance of infection (mom and baby)
These symptoms may occur after birth:
- Mom can’t bond with baby
- Delayed growth and development of baby
- Negative cognitive and behavioral traits up to 10 years later
8 Common Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)
IDA is caused from many different things. Check the list to see if you are at risk but then ask your doctor to run a blood test to determine if you have iron deficiency anemia. It’s simple and a quick way to find out the answer.
- Deficiency of iron in the diet
- High needs in pregnancy that are not met
- Bleeding from heavy menstrual periods
- Bleeding from the GI tract (postmenopausal women)
- Impaired absorption because of gastric bypass surgery
- Impaired absorption from inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease
- Impaired absorption from proton pump inhibitor drugs causing lower gastric acid
- Impaired absorption from drinking too much alkaline water causing lower gastric acid
For more information, see https://sabm.org/ida-in-women/